Hank Aaron Biography - ESPN Hank Aaron Biography Legacy Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron is a former Major League Baseball player who retired as the all-time leader in career home runs after playing from 1954 to 1976 with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves and the Milwaukee Brewers. Over that period he collected more RBI and more extra base hits than anyone in history. For 21 straight years he was named an All-Star and for 20 consecutive years he slugged at least 20 home runs or more. Fourteen times he hit over .300 in a major league season and eight times he hit 40 home runs or more. On April 8, 1974, he conquered Babe Ruth and one of the most hallowed records in sports by knocking his 715th home run. He ended his career with a .305 batting average, 755 home runs, 3,771 hits, 2,297 RBI, three Gold Gloves, a World Series championship and an MVP award. Aaron's home run record has since been broken by Barry Bonds, but he remains one of just three members of the 700-home run club.

Early Years Henry Louis Aaron was born February 5, 1934, in Down the Bay (a section of Mobile), Alabama. He was the third child of Estella and Herbert Aaron. When the family welcomed three more children into the family they were forced to relocate to a bigger home in Toulminville. While the home lacked electricity, windows and indoor plumbing, the rural area allowed the family to live off the land. Hank had jobs such as mowing lawns, picking potatoes and delivering ice. Hank's love for the game came from watching his father's local team, formed out of the tavern he opened next to the family home -- the Black Cat Inn. His uncle Bubba also taught him the intricacies of the game. Hank played with the local kids in the wide open fields of Toulminville, but, because baseballs were too expensive, Hank fashioned his own out of nylon panty hose wrapped around golf balls. Throughout his grade school years Aaron didn't play in organized ball. Segregation was rampant and only white students had high school baseball teams, so Aaron played on a fast-pitch softball team. He did however, play for the school's football team and was named to the all-city squad.

Fearing he might hurt himself playing football and jeopardize his baseball dreams, he quit the team and sacrificed his chances at a college scholarship. After informing the school of his decision he was chased down the hallway by a cane-waving principal. In his junior year he was expelled after repeatedly skipping class to listen to the Dodgers games and the exploits of their young second baseman of Jackie Robinson. The following fall he enrolled at the Josephine Allen Institute. Playing with locals at Carver Park, Aaron was noticed by Ed Scott, a manager of the Mobile Black Bears -- an all-black semipro team who promptly brought Aaron in. As a shortstop for the Black Bears, Aaron showed so much promise that Scott contacted his friend McKinley "Bunny" Downs of the Negro American League's Indianapolis Clowns. After Aaron turned 18 he was given a contract by the Clowns. On the Clowns, Hank revealed himself as such a serious prospect that Clowns owner Syd Pollock contacted the minor league director of the Boston Braves, knowing that he could get serious money for such a talent. On May 25, Braves scout Dewey Griggs showed up to a doubleheader against the Memphis Red Sox in Buffalo, New York.

In Griggs' scouting report he wrote, "This boy could be the answer." Professional Career Minor Leagues Aaron finished the 1952 season with the Eau Claire Bears of the Northern League. Playing on his first integrated team, Aaron actually grew more confident. During that first season he was selected to the Northern League All-Star game and named Rookie of the Year after hitting .336 with nine home runs in 87 games. After the season's end, he returned to help the Indianapolis Clowns win the Negro League World Series by hitting over .400 with five home runs. The next season he was assigned to the Class A Jacksonville Tars and became one of the first players to integrate the South Atlantic League. Despite playing in a segregated South, he batted .362 with 22 home runs and 14 triples to become the league's Most Valuable Player. One sportswriter wrote, "Henry Aaron led the league in everything except hotel accommodations." At the Winter Leagues in Puerto Rico, Aaron got better acquainted with fielding the position of outfield.

Milwaukee Braves (1954-65) Bobby Thompson's broken ankle in spring training of 1954 opened the door for Aaron to join the major league team in left field. On April 13, 1954, he made his major league debut and 10 days later slugged his first career home run off of Vic Raschi of the St. Louis Cardinals. Aaron batted .280 with 13 home runs and 69 RBI before breaking his own ankle on Sept. 5 while sliding into third base. He finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting behind Wally Moon, Ernie Banks and Gene Conley. In 1955 he was selected to his first All-Star team -- the first of 21 consecutive selections. That season he batted .314 with 27 home runs and 106 RBI. He also led the league with 37 doubles. The following season he led the league in batting average with .328 to go along with 26 home runs, 14 triples, and 96 RBI. He finished third in MVP voting behind Don Newcombe and Sal Maglie.

In 1957 with a squad consisting of Eddie Matthews, Red Schoendiest and Warren Spahn, the Braves set a major league attendance record with 2.2 million fans and captured the pennant by going 95-59. Aaron sealed an impressive season on Sept. 23, when he hit an 11th-inning two-run home run off the St. Louis Cardinals' Billy Muffet, giving the Braves a 4-2 victory and the National League title. Aaron's entire season was sensational, leading the league in home runs (44), RBI (132), and runs (118) to earn the league's MVP award. Against the New York Yankees in the World Series, Aaron batted .393 with three home runs and seven RBI to help the Braves earn their first World Series title in 43 years. After the season, Aaron returned to Mobile where he was honored with "Hank Aaron Day" and a parade in his honor through the streets of the city. The Braves returned to face the Yankees again in the 1958 World Series, but this time they lost in seven games.

During the series Aaron batted .333 and had a .419 OBP. In 1959 Aaron had a career best .355 batting average, 223 hits and 46 doubles. He also put up 39 home runs and 123 RBI to finish behind Ernie Banks and fellow teammate Eddie Matthews for the MVP award. With a record of 86-70 the Braves missed out on their third straight pennant by two games to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Throughout the decade of the 1960's Aaron was consistently great. Aaron often attributed the consistency to something Jackie Robinson had told him earlier in his career: "Baseball is a game you play every day, not once a week." Over the decade he averaged more than 37 home runs and almost 111 RBI a season. Three times he led the league in home runs and RBI. In 1963 he led the league with 44 home runs and 130 RBI. He narrowly missed out on winning the triple crown by finishing third with a .319 batting average (Tommy Davis led the league with a .326 mark).

Aaron also joined the 30/30 club by stealing 31 bases. He finished third in MVP voting behind Sandy Koufax and Dick Groat. Atlanta Braves (1966-74) In 1966 the Braves moved to Atlanta, and Aaron responded by leading the league with 44 home runs and 127 RBI. On July 14, 1968, at Atlanta Stadium, Aaron knocked his 500th career home run off Giants pitcher Mike McCormick. The crowd of more than 34,000 gave Aaron a several minute standing ovation as Aaron was presented a trophy at home plate. In 1969 he again finished third in MVP voting after batting .300 with 44 home runs and 97 RBI. On July 30, 1969, he hit his 537th career home run, moving past Mickey Mantle as third on the all-time list. Going 93-69 that season, the Braves won the NL West to square off against the Mets in the NL Championship Series.

In the NLCS the Braves were swept in three games by the eventual World Series champions, but Aaron hit a home run in each contest and batted .357 with seven RBI. Record Breaker On May 17, 1970, Aaron hit a single off Cincinnati Reds pitcher Wayne Simpson to collect his 3,000th career hit. He became the first player with 500 career home runs to have 3,000 career hits. On April 27, 1971, Aaron hit his 600th career home run off Gaylord Perry of the San Francisco Giants. That season he recorded his highest career single season on-base and slugging percentages with .410 and .669, respectively. He also belted 47 home runs and recorded 118 RBI with a .327 batting average. Once again he finished third in MVP voting, this time behind Joe Torre and Willie Stargell. Against Wayne Twitchell on June 10, 1972, Aaron surpassed Willie Mays on the all-time list with 649 home runs.

Despite being 39 years old in 1973 and only playing in 120 games, Aaron turned in another 40-home run campaign. On July 21, he hit his 700th career home run off Ken Brett. On Sept. 29, he hit his 40th home run of the season, the 713th of his career, to place him one behind Babe Ruth for the all-time record. By hitting 40 home runs, he joined Darrell Evans and Davey Johnson as the first three players to hit 40 or more home runs in a season for the same team. Aaron ended the year with a .301 batting average, 40 home runs, 96 RBI and a .402 OBP. During that off-season Aaron was bombarded by racist messages and threats on his life from people who didn't want to see an African-American break the most hallowed record in sports. The threats were so prevalent that Aaron feared for his life. Opening Day of 1974 against the Cincinnati Reds' Jack Billingham in the first inning, Aaron tied Babe Ruth with his 714th career home run.

As Aaron rounded the bases and was about to touch home, Reds catcher Johnny Bench extended his hand to congratulate him. Four days later, on April 8, 1974, against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Aaron had another chance to celebrate. In the bottom of the fourth inning against Al Downing, Aaron launched one over the left field fence in Atlanta to send the crowd of over 55,000 into pandemonium. Two random fans ran onto the field and escorted Aaron from second base to third. On October 2, 1974, Aaron hit his 733rd and final home run as a Brave off Rawly Eastwick of the Reds. One month later on Nov. 2, he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for Roger Alexander and Dave May, able to end his career in the city where he started it all. Age and injuries were catching up to Aaron. He had only 382 at bats and recorded his lowest batting average of his career at .268 in 1974.

Milwaukee Brewers (1974-76) On May 1, 1975, Aaron became Major League Baseball's all-time RBI leader when he knocked in his 2,212th run. Over Aaron's final two seasons he hit 22 home runs and had 95 RBI in 222 games. On July 20, 1976, Aaron hit his 755th and final home run off of the Angels pitcher Dick Drago. Post-playing Career After playing Aaron returned to the Braves to serve as vice president of player development. In 1989 the Atlanta Braves named him senior vice president of the club and assistant to the president. He also had a successful line of auto dealerships. Legacy Throughout his career Aaron openly spoke out for racial equality in baseball, not just on the field but in the front office. "On the field, Blacks have been able to be super giants. But, once our playing days are over, this is the end of it and we go back to the back of the bus again," said Aaron in reference to a lack of black managers and black front office personnel. Aaron retired as the all-time home run leader with 755.

He also holds the record for the most career RBI (2,297), extra base hits (1,477) and total bases (6,856). He ranks second in at-bats (12,364) and intentional walks (293) and is third all-time in hits (3,771) and fourth all-time in total runs (2,174). He hit .300 or better in 14 seasons, hit 40 or more home runs eight times and hit 20 or more home runs in 20 consecutive seasons. In 1982 he was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. His 97.8 percent "yes" votes on all ballots cast was the second most at the time, behind only Ty Cobb in 1936. On February 5, 1999, Major League Baseball announced the creation of the Hank Aaron Award on the 25th anniversary of Aaron breaking Ruth's record. The award is presented annually to the best hitter in the American and National leagues.

In 1999 he was named to Major League Baseball's "All-Century Team." In 2002 he was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. SPONSORED HEADLINES Negro Leagues Baseball eMuseum: Personal Profiles: Henry "Hank" Aaron Teams: Indianapolis Clowns (1952), minor leagues (1952-1953), major leagues (1954-1976) Bats: Right Height: 6' 0'' Weight: 180 Born: February 5, 1934, Mobile, Alabama In 1952, as a skinny, crosshanded-batting eighteen-year-old, the future home run king played shortstop for the Negro American League's Indianapolis Clowns under manager Buster Haywood for about three months. Aaron had been signed in April for $200 per month by Bunny Downs , the Clowns' business manager, after being discovered the previous season (1951) while playing with the semi-pro Mobile Black Bears in an exhibition game against the Clowns.

During the time he was with the Clowns, he was scouted by both the New York Giants and the Boston Braves and, although the Giants were unimpressed, the Braves bought his contract from Clowns' owner Syd Pollock . The fledgling shortstop finished the season at Eau Claire in the Northern League, hitting .336 with nine home runs in the remaining 87 games. The following season he was switched to second base at Jacksonville in the Sally League, and he responded by leading the league in almost every category except home runs. His .362 batting average topped the league, as did his hits (208), runs (115), RBIs (125), doubles (36), putouts (330), assists (310), and errors (36). He also contributed 14 triples and 22 homers. The next season he made the transition to the major leagues with the Milwaukee Braves, was shifted to the outfield, and hit 13 home runs. The rest is history. Twenty-three years later he retired as the all time home run king with 755 homers and a lifetime .305 batting average.

Along the way he lead the league in home runs (1957, 1963, 1966-1967) and in RBIs (1957, 1960, 1963, 1966) four times each, won three Gold Gloves (1958-1960) and two batting titles (1956, 1959), was selected to the All Star team (1954-1976), and voted the National League's MVP (1957). He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982 to cap an illustrious career. Baseball Career Highlights: When the Indianapolis Clowns saw the 17-year old Aaron playing with the semi-pro Mobile Black Bears, they were so impressed that they wanted him to play with their team. The next year, the Clowns signed him for $200 a month. In 1952, the only year he played in the Negro Leagues, he lead the Negro American League with a .467 average.

Professional/Personal Accomplishments: Scouted by several major league teams, he signed with the Milwaukee Braves in 1952. He spent a year in the minors before making his major league debut on opening day in 1954. In 1956 Aaron won the National League (NL) batting title with a .328 average and led the league in hits (200) and doubles (34). Batting.332 in 1957, Aaron earned the NL's MVP award, led the league with 44 home runs, and helped the Braves win the World Series title. Posting 40 or more home runs for several seasons, Aaron gracefully approached Babe Ruth's home run record. Aaron hit home run number 713 late in 1973. Aaron said, "For two years, I had to live in a hotel, my children had to go to private schools and my entire family was split up because people were mad that I was going to break the record." With the first swing of the season on April 4, he hit his 714th home run.

Four days later, on April 8, 1974, "Hammerin" Hank hit his 715th home run over the left field wall in Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium, breaking Ruth's record. Aaron, who ended his 23 year career with 755 home runs, said he is not bitter but disappointed about what he and other African American athletes had to endure. After retiring, Aaron worked as the Atlanta Braves' director of player development and is currently a vice president. Now as the founder of "Chasing The Dream Foundation," Aaron is working with Major League Baseball to ensure that future African American athletes will not have to endure what he did to earn the title of "home run king." Aaron was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982.

Awards, Honors, Titles, Championships, • National League's Batting Title, 1956, 1959 • National League's "Most Valuable Player," 1957 • World Series Champions (Milwaukee Braves), 1957 • Three Gold Glove Awards, 1958-1960 • 24 All Star Game Appearances • National Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee, 1982 Career Records: Hank Aaron hits first home run of his MLB career - Apr 23, 1954 - HISTORY.com Hank Aaron hits first home run of his MLB career Share this: Hank Aaron hits first home run of his MLB career Author Hank Aaron hits first home run of his MLB career URL Publisher A+E Networks On April 23, 1954, Hank Aaron knocks out the first home run of his Major League Baseball career. Twenty years later, Aaron becomes baseball’s new home run king when he broke Babe Ruth’s long-standing record of 714 career homers.

A native of Mobile, Alabama, Aaron began his professional baseball career in 1952 in the Negro League and joined the Milwaukee Braves of the major leagues in 1954, eight years after Jackie Robinson had integrated baseball. Aaron was the last Negro League player to compete in the majors. He played his first game with the Braves on April 13 and went hitless in his five times at bat. Two days later, he got his first hit, a single, in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals, and on April 23, 1954, pounded out his first major league home run off Cardinals’ pitcher Vic Raschi. Aaron quickly established himself as an important player for the Braves and won the National League batting title in 1956. The following season, he took home the league’s MVP award and helped the Braves beat Mickey Mantle and the heavily favored New York Yankees in the World Series. In 1959, Aaron won his second league batting title. Season after season, he turned in strong batting performances: “Hammerin’ Hank” hit .300 or higher for 14 seasons and slugged at least 40 homers in eight separate seasons.

In May 1970, he became the first player in baseball to record 500 homers and 3,000 hits. The achievement Aaron is best known for, though, is breaking Babe Ruth’s record of 714 career home runs, which he did on April 8, 1974, at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, when he hit his 715th home run in the fourth inning of a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Aaron played for the Milwaukee Braves from 1954 to 1965 and then moved with the team to Atlanta in 1966. On February 29, 1972, the Atlanta Braves signed Aaron to a three-year, $200,000 per year contract that made him baseball’s best-paid player. In November 1974, the Braves traded Aaron to the Milwaukee Brewers, where he spent the final two seasons of his career. Aaron retired from baseball in 1976 with 755 career home runs, a record that stood until August 7, 2007, when it was broken by Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants.

Related Videos Hank Aaron's career timeline | MLB.com Hank Aaron's career timeline Feb. 5, 1934: Born in Mobile, Ala. Nov. 20, 1951: Signed by the Negro League Indianapolis Clowns. June 14, 1952: Signed by the Milwaukee Braves and sent to Eau Claire, Wis., where he played second base and was named the Northern League Rookie of the Year. 1953: Played for Jacksonville, Fla., of the South Atlantic League, where he was named league MVP. Moved on to the Winter Leagues in Puerto Rico, where he learned to play the outfield. March 1954: Braves outfielder Bobby Thomson breaks an ankle and Aaron moves into Milwaukee's starting lineup. April 13, 1954: Makes his Major League debut, going 0-for-5 vs. Cincinnati. April 15, 1954: Knocks his first Major League hit, a single off Vic Raschi of the Cardinals. April 23: 1954: Belts his first Major League home run, off Raschi in St. Louis. Sept.

5, 1954: Misses the rest of the season after breaking an ankle. July 12, 1955: Plays in his first of a record-tying 24 All-Star Games. 1956: Wins his first National League batting title with a .328 average. Aug. 15, 1957: Hits his 100th career home run off Don Gross of the Reds. Sept. 23, 1957: Belts an 11th-inning home run, off Billy Muffett of the Cardinals, to clinch the NL pennant for the Braves. Oct. 5, 1957: Named the National League MVP for the only time in his career. 1958: Wins his first Gold Glove. July 21, 1959: Hits three homers against the San Francisco Giants, marking the only time in his career he homered three times in a single game. July 3, 1960: Hits his 200th career home run off Ron Kline of the Cardinals.

June 8, 1961: Combines with Eddie Mathews, Joe Adcock and Frank Thomas in Cincinnati to become the first players to hit four consecutive homers in a game. April 19, 1963: Hits his 300th career home run, off Roger Craig of the Mets. April 20, 1966: Hits his 400th career home run, off Bob Priddy of the Giants. July 14, 1968: Hits his 500th career home run, off Mike McCormick of the Giants. July 30, 1969: Hits his 537th career homer to move past Mickey Mantle into third on the all-time home run list. May 17, 1970: Singles off Reds pitcher Wayne Simpson for his 3,000th career hit. April 27, 1971: Hits his 600th career home run, off Gaylord Perry of the Giants. July 31, 1971: Hits his first career All-Star Game homer, off Vida Blue in Detroit.

June 10, 1972: Hits his 649th career home run to pass Willie Mays for second in MLB history. July 25, 1972: Homers off Perry in the first All-Star Game played in Atlanta. July 21, 1973: Hits his 700th career home run, off Ken Brett of the Phillies. Sept. 29, 1973: Hits homer No. 713 -- his 40th of the season -- joining Darrell Evans and Davey Johnson to make the Braves the first team with three players to hit 40 homers or more in a season. April 4, 1974: Homers against the Reds' Jack Billingham on Opening Day to tie Babe Ruth with 714 career home runs. April 8, 1974: Hits his 715th career home run, off Al Downing of the Dodgers, to break Ruth's record. Oct. 2, 1974: Hits his final home run in a Braves uniform, career No. 733, off Rawly Eastwick of the Reds. Nov.

2, 1974: Traded from Atlanta to the Milwaukee Brewers for Roger Alexander and Dave May. April 18, 1975: Hits his first American League homer, off Perry of the Indians. May 1, 1975: Becomes baseball's all-time leader in RBIs with No. 2,212 -- he finished his career with 2,297. July 20, 1976: Hits the final home run of his career, off Dick Drago of the Angels, for No. 755. Oct. 3, 1976: Singles off Dave Roberts of the Tigers in his final Major League at-bat. Aug. 1, 1982: Enshrined in Baseball's Hall of Fame. Feb. 5, 1999: Major League Baseball announces the Hank Aaron Award, an honor presented annually to the best hitters in the American and National Leagues.

Share This Hank Aaron | Encyclopedia of Alabama Steve Townsend, Birmingham, Alabama Hank Aaron's 715th Home Run Baseball icon Henry "Hank" Aaron (1934- ) first honed the skills that ultimately led him to a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame while growing up in Alabama . He is best known for breaking Babe Ruth's record of 714 home runs, ultimately hitting 755, a record that stood from 1974 to 2007, and he achieved other baseball milestones that still stand, including most runs batted in and most extra base hits. Aaron was known as "Hammerin' Hank" and "Bad Henry" during his playing career because of his considerable skills as a batter. Henry Louis Aaron was born February 5, 1934, in Mobile , one of Herbert and Estella Aaron's eight children. Hank's brother Tommie would also play for the Atlanta Braves.

The Aarons grew up in a low-income section of Mobile known as "Down the Bay." Aaron grew up hitting cross-handed (meaning that although he batted right-handed, he placed his left hand higher on the bat) and was a standout football player at Mobile's Central High. Hank Aaron, MVP Aaron's first tryout for the major leagues was in 1949 at the age of 15 with the Brooklyn Dodgers, but he failed to make the team. His first paying job, at the age of 17, was as a shortstop in the Negro Leagues with the Mobile Black Bears, earning $10.00 a game. He began his professional career as a shortstop in the Negro American League, playing for the Indianapolis Clowns, leading the team to a 1952 Negro League World Series. A few months into his career, the Boston Braves of the National League bought his contract, and he played for the Braves' minor-league affiliate in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. In 1954, Aaron was brought up to the major leagues as the right fielder for the Braves, who had moved the franchise to Milwaukee in 1953.

Soon, the Mobile native would become one of baseball's most skilled all-around players. In 1956, Aaron's third major-league season, he led the National League in hitting with a .328 average; and in 1957 he was voted the league's Most Valuable Player. Teaming with future Hall of Fame stars, including third baseman Eddie Matthews and pitcher Warren Spahn, the Braves won the National League pennant and faced the perennial champion New York Yankees in the World Series. Aaron and the Braves became the toast of major league baseball by defeating the Yankees in 1957. Aaron was voted the series MVP for batting .393 and for hitting three home runs and seven RBIs, but it would be the only time he ever played on a world championship team. One year later, Aaron and his teammates won a second straight National League title but lost in a rematch with the Yankees, led by Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra. Although Milwaukee jumped to a 3-1 advantage, New York swept the final three games, including two at County Stadium in Milwaukee.

In 1963, Aaron had his best overall season, leading the National League with 44 home runs and 130 runs batted in (RBIs). He finished third in batting, with a .319 average, narrowly missing the coveted Triple Crown (in which a batter leads the league in home runs, RBIs, and batting average). Aaron, however, stole 30 bases that year, becoming only the third player ever to have 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in a season. The Braves relocated to Atlanta for the 1966 season, and in 1974, Aaron became the all-time baseball home-run king when he hit number 715, which occurred April 8, 1974. Traded at the end of the 1974 season, Aaron played his final two seasons for the Milwaukee Brewers. He concluded his remarkable career with 755 home runs. After retiring as a player, Aaron returned to Atlanta to serve in the Braves' front office. He has been an executive with the team ever since.

During his drive to overtake Babe Ruth as the all-time home run champion, Aaron received hate mail and threatening phone calls, many of which were racially offensive. He faced the threats with immense composure. Hank Aaron, 2005 During Aaron's career, which spanned from 1954 through 1976, he made the National League All-Star team every year, from 1955 to 1975, for 21 straight seasons. In 1958, 1959, and 1960, he won the Gold Glove for outfield, an award given annually to the nine best fielders in the respective leagues. Aaron was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in January 1982, with 97.8 percent of the votes cast, second only to Ty Cobb's 98.2 percent. Aaron finished his 23-year career with a lifetime .305 batting average. His 3,771 hits rank third on the all-time list behind Pete Rose and Ty Cobb.

In addition, Aaron is one of only four players with more than 3,000 hits and 500 home runs, an accomplishment later matched by Willie Mays , Eddie Murray, and Rafael Palmeiro. In 2000, he was voted as one of the 30 best players in the history of the sport. Aaron holds the record for most runs batted in (2,297) and extra-base hits (1,477). Aaron's home run record stood until Barry Bonds eclipsed the mark in 2007. Years after his playing days, Aaron was lauded for his baseball skills and persona. The minor league park of the Mobile Bay Bears was named Hank Aaron Stadium in 1997. Since 1999 Major League Baseball has annually given the Hank Aaron Award to the best offensive player in the American and National leagues. In 2002, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award. Statues of Aaron greet fans at three different baseball stadiums: Atlanta's Turner Field, Milwaukee's Miller Park, and Carson Park in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

In September 2010, Aaron's refurbished childhood home was relocated to Hank Aaron Stadium as the Hank Aaron Childhood Home and Museum. Additional Resources Aaron, Hank., with Wheeler, Lonnie. I Had a Hammer: The Hank Aaron Story. New York: Harper Perennial, 2007. Stanton, Tom. Hank Aaron and the Run That Changed America. New York: William Morrow, 2004. Published: June 13, 2008 | &nbspLast updated: June 27, 2013 THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ALABAMA Welcome to your free, online resource on Alabama history, culture, geography, and natural environment. This site offers articles on Alabama's famous people, historic events, sports, art, literature, industry, government, plant and animal life, agriculture, recreation, and so much more. NAVIGATE Hank Aaron (b. 1934) | New Georgia Encyclopedia Hank Aaron (b. 1934) A.

Binford Minter , University of Georgia, 11/18/2002 Last edited by NGE Staff on 12/07/2016 Explore This Article Retirement "Hammerin' Hank" Aaron, a player for the Atlanta Braves , hit 755 home runs, a record that stood unchallenged until 2007, during his twenty-three-year career in major league baseball. Aaron's other records include career runs batted in (RBIs) and number of All-Star game appearances. His contributions to baseball on and off the field continued the struggle against segregation begun by Jackie Robinson in 1947. Early Years Hank Aaron Louis Aaron was born in Mobile, Alabama, on February 5, 1934, the day before Babe Ruth's thirty-ninth birthday. He was the third of eight children born to Estella and Herbert Aaron. Raised in Toulminville, a village on the outskirts of Mobile, Aaron attended Central High School and finished school at Josephine Allen Institute. When he was fourteen his father took him to see Jackie Robinson play during the Brooklyn Dodgers' spring training swing through Mobile, and they attended a speech Robinson gave in town.

From that point on, Aaron has said, he was determined to become a major league player himself. Because neither high school he attended had a baseball team, he originally played softball before joining a semiprofessional baseball team, the Mobile Black Bears, during his junior year in high school. During an exhibition game in 1951 between the Bears and the Negro American League's Indianapolis Clowns, the Clowns' management was impressed with Aaron and quickly offered him a contract. He joined the Clowns in the spring of 1952, at the age of eighteen, playing shortstop. Despite his cross-handed grip, the right-handed hitter led the league with a.467 average. Major Hank Aaron league scouts soon took notice of the powerful hitter, and the Boston Braves bought out his contract for $10,000 midway through his first season with the Clowns. With a corrected grip and a new position in the outfield, Aaron played short stints for the Braves' farm teams in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and Jacksonville, Florida. As a member of the Jacksonville Tars, part of the South Atlantic (or Sally) League, he toured Georgia, playing other league teams in Savannah , Columbus , and Augusta .

He won the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors in 1953. When Bobby Thomson, the Braves' starting left fielder, fractured his ankle in the 1954 preseason, Aaron filled his place in the lineup and hit a home run in his first at-bat. His career as a Brave was sealed. The Braves (who had by then moved from Boston to Milwaukee) would be his team for the next twenty-one years, twelve in Milwaukee and nine in Atlanta . After his first season in the majors, Aaron hit at least twenty home runs a season for the next twenty consecutive seasons, with thirty home runs or more in fifteen of those seasons. Hank Aaron At Bat He also scored more than 100 runs each season from 1955 until 1967. Aaron holds yet another record for his twenty-five All-Star games. In 1957 he clinched the pennant for the Braves with an extra-inning homer against the St. Louis Cardinals. That year Aaron was named league MVP, and the Braves went on to win the World Series. He received the Gold Glove as the National League's top-fielding right fielder in each of the next three years.

Atlanta Braves The Braves moved to Atlanta in 1966, and Aaron moved with them. On May 17, 1970, he became the first player to make both 3,000 career hits and more than 500 career home runs. By then it had become apparent that he could conceivably break Babe Ruth's record of 714 career home runs. The threat to Ruth's record prompted racial antagonism toward Aaron and his family. In 1973 numerous death threats forced him to hire a bodyguard. His daughter, Gaile, a student at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, received threatening phone calls and was the target of an abortive kidnapping plot. In spite of the hatred around him, Aaron finished the season just one home run short of Ruth's record. More Hank Aaron controversy surrounded Aaron as the 1974 season began. The Braves' management opted to bench their cleanup hitter for the first three games at Cincinnati so that he could break the home run record in Atlanta. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn disagreed with the move and ordered that Aaron play in the opening games. He played two of the three games and tied Ruth's record without breaking it.

On April 8, 1974, the stage was set for the breaking of one of baseball's most famous records. In front of a record crowd at Atlanta – Fulton County Stadium , the forty-year-old Aaron faced pitcher Al Downing of the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the fourth inning he knocked a fastball over the left field fence, his 715th home run. The crowded stadium of 53,775 fans erupted in celebration as fireworks went off overhead. As he rounded third, Aaron saw his teammates and parents waiting for him at home plate. Looking back on his struggle to break the record, Aaron said, "Thank God it's over." That was Aaron's final season for the Braves. Frustrated by the lack of support from local fans for the team and for himself, he returned to Milwaukee, where he played for two seasons with the Brewers. When he retired after the 1976 season, his career statistics included records for 755 home runs; 2,297 RBIs; 6,856 total bases; and 1,477 extra base hits.

Retirement Hank Aaron and Johnny Isaacson retiring as a player, Aaron moved back to Atlanta, where he has served in various corporate positions, including corporate vice president of community relations for Turner Broadcasting , a member of the TBS Board of Directors, vice president of business development for the Airport Network, and senior vice president of the Braves. In 1991 he published his autobiography, I Had a Hammer: The Hank Aaron Story, with collaborator Lonnie Wheeler, which became a best-seller, and he eventually owned a BMW dealership in Atlanta. In 2002 U.S. president George W. Bush awarded him a Presidential Medal of Freedom, and in 2010 he was inducted as a Georgia Trustee, an honor conferred by the Georgia Historical Society and the Office of the Governor . On August 7, 2007, Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hit his 756th home run, thereby breaking Aaron's record. The event was controversial, given that Bonds was under investigation at the time for the alleged use of performance-enhancing steroids, but the occasion was nevertheless marked at the ballpark in San Francisco, California, by fireworks and a recorded message from Aaron congratulating Bonds.

You Might Also Like [ edit ] Biographical Information "Aaron is the best ball player of my era." - Mickey Mantle Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron, a member of the Hall of Fame , is best known for setting the record for most home runs in a career (755), surpassing the previous mark of 714 by Babe Ruth . Aaron held the career home run record before it was broken in 2007 by Barry Bonds . Aaron also holds the career marks for runs batted in (2,297), extra base hits (1,477), and total bases (6,856). He won one World Series ring with the Milwaukee Braves in 1957 , and the National League Most Valuable Player Award the same year. He also earned three Gold Glove Awards , and made 22 All-Star appearances. [ edit ] Pre-professional career Aaron was born in a part of Mobile, AL called Down By The Bay. It was a poor area of town populated mostly by minorities. His family later moved to a better part of Mobile called Toulminville, where he was brought up and attended school.

In Central High School, Aaron played shortstop and third base and was an outstanding hitter though he batted cross-handed. His team won the Negro High School Championship two years running. In high school, he also excelled in football. Aaron's last two years of high school were spent at Josephine Allen Institute, a private high school. Aaron was so proficient a ballplayer at this young age that before his fifteenth birthday he was playing on a semi-pro team, the Pritchett Athletics, as their shortstop and third baseman. After being seen by scout agent Ed Scott , he then started playing with the semi-pro Mobile Black Bears for $3 a game restricted to play only in the home-town games for his mother would not allow him to travel. [ edit ] Negro leagues career His mother wanted Aaron to attend college in Florida. But with the promise to finish high school, on November 20 , 1951 he was signed by scout Bunny Downs to play for the Negro American League champion Indianapolis Clowns , earning $200 a month, after the Black Bears played an exhibition against the Clowns the previous year.

He tried out for the Brooklyn Dodgers but did not get to show his abilities to the scouts there owing to the fact that he batted cross-handed. "I will never forget that Hank Aaron was the shortstop for the black team. Pete Wojciechowski (Wojie), who spent time in the major leagues, pitched for us that day and struck out 17. . . It is the first time we saw Hank Aaron, who was 17 and had just finished his first year with the Indianapolis Clowns. Nobody else could hit Wojie - and Aaron was ripping him." - Milt Bolling , recalling a game between white and black teams, quoted in The Bolling Brothers Remember Mobile [ edit ] Minor leagues On June 14 , 1952 Aaron's contract was acquired by the Boston Braves for $10,000. Aaron was assigned to the Braves' Class C farm club, the Eau Claire Bears , in Eau Claire, WI where he played second base. He got two line drive singles in his first game. He won the Northern League 's Rookie of the Year Award, and he earned $350 a month.

In 1953, Aaron, along with Horace Garner and Felix Mantilla , was sent to the Jacksonville Tars to break the color line in the South Atlantic League . Despite enduring non-stop racial epithets and threats, Aaron led the league in runs (115), hits (208), doubles (36), RBI (115), and batting average (.362) to become the league's Most Valuable Player. One writer said, "Henry Aaron led the league in everything except hotel accommodations". To prepare for the big leagues, Aaron played winter ball in Puerto Rico and learned to play the outfield. On March 13 , 1954 , Braves left fielder Bobby Thomson broke his ankle sliding into second base during a spring training game. The next day Aaron made his first spring training start for the Braves in left field and hit a home run. [ edit ] The early years in the Major Leagues On April 13 , 1954 , Aaron made his major league debut and went 0 for 5 against the Cincinnati Redlegs ' Joe Nuxhall .

In the same game, Aaron's teammate, Eddie Mathews hit two home runs, the first two of a record 863 home runs the pair would hit as teammates. On April 15 , Aaron got his first major league hit, a single off Cardinals pitcher Vic Raschi . Aaron hit his first Major League home run on April 23 , also off Raschi. Over the next 122 games, Aaron batted .280 (he would not hit that low again until 1966 ) with 13 homers - he wouldn't go below 20 for the next 20 years - before suffering a broken ankle on September 5 . In the following season, Aaron was moved to right field , where he played for most of his career, winning three Gold Gloves . 1955 also saw the first of a record-tying 24 All-Star Games for Aaron — only Willie Mays and Stan Musial appeared in as many All-Star Games. On June 24 , Aaron became the first strikeout victim of the Brooklyn Dodgers ' future Hall of Famer, Sandy Koufax .

Koufax came on in relief for the Dodgers in Milwaukee's County Stadium , pitching two shutout innings and fanning two. Aaron finished the season batting .314 with 27 home runs and 106 RBI. 1956 saw Aaron hit .328 to win the first of two NL batting titles . He was also named The Sporting News ' National League Player of the Year. Hank Aaron would lead the league four times in doubles . However, in 1956, when he led the league with 34 doubles, it was the lowest total for a National League doubles leader in the period from 1920-2007. Aaron might, if he had chosen to do so, have accumulated more doubles since his 14 triples were second in the league that year. Two changes were made in 1957 that had a profound effect on Aaron. First, he went from second in the batting order to fourth, behind Eddie Mathews instead of in front of him, and, second, he switched from a 36-ounce bat to a 34-ounce model.

Aaron responded by leading the league with 44 home runs, a career-high 132 RBI, batted .322 and won his only NL MVP Award . During a game on August 15th , Aaron belted his 100th major league home run off the Redlegs' Don Gross . On September 23 , Aaron had what he called the best moment of his career. He drilled a pitch from the Cardinals' Billy Muffett for a two-run homer in the 11th inning of a game. It clinched the Braves' first pennant in Milwaukee and Aaron was carried off the field by his teammates. That year, Milwaukee registered its only World Series victory behind right-handed pitcher Lew Burdette , who defeated the New York Yankees three times. Aaron did his part by hitting .393 with three homers and seven RBI. [ edit ] Prime of career Aaron had another spectacular year in 1958 by hitting .326, with 30 home runs and 95 RBI. He led the Braves to another pennant, but this time they lost a seven-game Series to the Yankees . Aaron picked up his first Gold Glove Award and finished 3rd in MVP voting .

Hall of Famer Don Drysdale served up the first of seventeen home runs to Aaron on June 29 of that year — more than any other pitcher. On June 21 , 1959 Aaron had his single most productive day as a hitter. Against the San Francisco Giants , he hit two-run home runs in the 1st, 6th and 7th inning off Johnny Antonelli , Stu Miller and Gordon Jones . It was the only time in his career that he would hit three homers in a game. Exactly one month later, on July 21 , Aaron appeared on the television show " Home Run Derby ", and had a record-setting stint, earning a record $13,000 for his time on the show, which included a most-ever 6 consecutive wins before he was defeated by Wally Post . The prize money encouraged Aaron to change his approach in hitting and swing for more homers. Aaron defended his decision by saying, "I noticed that they never had a show called 'Singles Derby'." Eddie Mathews led the league in home runs with 46 and Aaron led the league in hitting with a .355 average and finished 3rd in MVP voting .

July 3 , 1960 saw Aaron hit his 200th home run off of the Cardinals' Ron Kline at Sportsman's Park . On June 8 , 1961 , Aaron, Eddie Mathews, Joe Adcock and Frank Thomas became the first four players ever to hit successive home runs in a game. Aaron and Mathews went back to back off of Reds' pitcher Jim Maloney . Adcock and Thomas hit theirs off reliever Marshall Bridges . Despite the unprecedented feat, the Braves lost the game 10-8. On June 18 , 1962 , Aaron hit what most consider to be the longest home run of his career — a 470-foot shot to straight-away center at the Polo Grounds in New York City . Only two other players ever hit a ball there — Joe Adcock in 1953 and Lou Brock , who oddly did it the day before Aaron. On April 19 , 1963 he hit his 300th home run off the Mets' Jay Hook . Aaron just missed winning the triple crown in 1963 by leading the league with 44 home runs and 130 RBI.

He finished .007 behind Tommy Davis in batting. Aaron became the third member of the 30-30 club , after Ken Williams and Willie Mays . He again finished third in the MVP voting . On September 20 , 1965 , Aaron hit the last home run by a Milwaukee Braves player at Milwaukee County Stadium. It came off Ray Culp of the Phillies . The Braves moved to Atlanta the following season and made Fulton County Stadium their new home. Aaron's home run output increased due to the hitter friendly park — later nicknamed "The Launching Pad". Aaron hit his 400th home run on April 20 , 1966 off Bob Priddy of the San Francisco Giants . On August 23 he homered to set a major league record with Eddie Mathews for most career home runs by teammates (863). The first two batters faced by Nolan Ryan in his career were Mathews and Aaron, on September 11 of that year. Neither of them struck out against Ryan. In the first game of a doubleheader against the Phillies on May 10 , 1967 , Aaron hit his only inside-the-park home run off Jim Bunning .

Aaron hit a conventional home run in the second game of the doubleheader, off Larry Jackson . Aaron hit his 500th home run on July 14 , 1968 off Mike McCormick of the San Francisco Giants at Fulton County Stadium. Aaron was just the eighth player to reach the milestone and he did it exactly one year after his former teammate Eddie Mathews did it with the Houston Astros ]. At the time, Aaron was the second youngest player to ever do so at 34 years, five months and nine days, a year and a half older than the youngest player to do so, Jimmie Foxx . [ edit ] The chase is on On July 30 , 1969 Aaron hit his 537th home run to move into third place on the career home run list, past Mickey Mantle and behind only Willie Mays and Babe Ruth . Aaron was now in the most productive home run hitting stretch of his career, and it became apparent that he would have a legitimate chance of overtaking Ruth, moreso than Mays who was more rapidly approaching the end of his career. The Braves marked the first year of division play by winning the NL West .

The Braves were in fifth place on August 19 , but outplayed the Giants and Reds down the stretch to win the division. Aaron slugged 44 homers and knocked in 97 runs. The Braves lost to the Miracle Mets in the League Championship Series , three games to none. Aaron finished 3rd in MVP voting . Aaron got his 3,000th career hit off Reds pitcher Wayne Simpson on May 17 , 1970 , with a single in the second game of a doubleheader at Cincinnati's Crosley Field , becoming the first player to reach that milestone and hit 500 career home runs. On July 31 , he hit a home run against Dave Giusti of the Pirates in Atlanta for this 30th homer of the season, establishing a National League record for most seasons with 30 or more homers (12). 1971 saw several milestones for Aaron. On April 27 he hit his 600th career homer off the San Francisco Giants' Gaylord Perry in Atlanta. The greatest home run hitter slugged two homers off the great strikeout pitcher, Nolan Ryan, the first of which was on May 21 , in Shea Stadium .

On July 31 Aaron homered in an All-Star Game for the first time, connecting off Vida Blue in Detroit. He hit his 40th home run of the season against the Giants' Jerry Johnson on August 10 , establishing a National League record for most seasons with 40 or more home runs (seven). On September 21 , Aaron homered against the Padres' Jay Franklin for his 46th home run of the season — a new career high. Five days later, he hit his 47th home run, the most he hit in a season. He finished third in MVP voting for the 6th time in his career. During the strike-shortened season of 1972 , Aaron tied and then surpassed Willie Mays for second place on the career home run list with home runs on May 31 (648) off of the Padres' Fred Norman and June 10 (649) off the Phillies' Wayne Twitchell . His home run on June 10 was also his 14th grand slam , tying him with Willie McCovey and Gil Hodges for the National League record.

On June 28 , Aaron hit a two-run homer to tie Lou Gehrig for second place on the all-time RBI list with 1,990. The next day he passed Gehrig with a home run off the Padres' Mike Caldwell to move into sole possession of second place on the all-time RBI list. Aaron got his 2,000 career RBI when he homered off the Astros' Jim York . Aaron tied then surpassed Babe Ruth for the most home runs by a player with a single team when he homered for the 659th time as a Brave on July 19 against the Pirates' Nelson Briles and for the 660th on July 25 against the Reds' Wayne Simpson. At the first All-Star Game to be played in Atlanta, Aaron thrilled the hometown crowd by homering in the sixth inning off the Cleveland Indians' Gaylord Perry. Aaron homered twice against the Phillies to break Stan Musial 's major league record for total bases (6,134). [ edit ] Racism and the record The chase to beat the Babe heated up in the summer of 1973 and with it the mail.

Aaron needed a secretary to sort it as he received more than an estimated 3,000 letters a day, more than any American outside of politics. Unfortunately, racists initially did much of the writing. A sampling: "Dear Nigger Henry, You are (not) going to break this record established by the great Babe Ruth if I can help it. ... Whites are far more superior than jungle bunnies. My gun is watching your every black move." "Dear Henry Aaron, How about some sickle cell anemia, Hank?" The letters came from every state, but most were postmarked in northern cities. They were filled with hate; more hate than Aaron had ever imagined. "This," Aaron said later about the letters, "changed me." Aaron hit his 700th home run off the Phillies' Ken Brett . The 1973 season ended with Aaron at 713 homers, after hitting a remarkable 40 in just 392 at-bats. He was 39. The Braves became the first team to have three players hit 40 or more homers in a season. Darrell Evans and Davey Johnson also reached the 40-homer mark.

Over the winter, Aaron endured death threats and a barrage of racist hate mail from people who did not want to see a black man break Ruth's home run record. Lewis Grizzard , then sports editor of the Atlanta Journal, became so concerned that he had an obituary written just in case. However, when the harassment became widely known, the ballplayer enjoyed a massive flood of public support motivated at least partially to counter the bigotry. This included Babe Ruth's widow who denounced the racists and declared that her husband would have enthusiastically cheered Aaron's attempt at the record. As the 1974 season began, Aaron's pursuit of the home run record caused a small controversy. The Braves opened the season on the road in Cincinnati with a three-game series. Braves management wanted him to break the record in Atlanta. Therefore, they were going to have Aaron sit out the first three games of the season. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn ruled that he had to play two out of three. He tied Babe Ruth's record in his very first at bat, but did not hit another home run in the series.

The largest crowd in Braves history (53,775) watched Hank Aaron break the record on April 8th with a home run in the 4th inning off Los Angeles pitcher Al Downing . The ball landed in the Braves bullpen where reliever Tom House caught it. While cannons were firing in celebration and Aaron rounded the bases, two college students appeared and ran alongside, congratulating him before security stepped in. Aaron's mother ran onto the field and into the arms of her son, tears brimming in her eyes. Mrs. Aaron wasn't just proud of her son; she rushed the plate because she thought her son had been shot. On October 2nd , Aaron hit his 733rd and final home run as a Brave. One month later, on November 2nd , the Braves traded Aaron to the Milwaukee Brewers for Roger Alexander and Dave May . Because the Brewers were an American League team, Aaron could extend his career by taking advantage of the designated hitter rule. He finished his career in 1976 with 755 homers.

Aaron (in white) watches the 2009 All-Star game with Bud Selig and President Obama As a popular member of the long-missed Milwaukee Braves club, Aaron brought credibility to the new Brewers franchise. Aaron broke baseball's all time RBI record on May 1 , 1975 and on July 20 , 1976 , he hit his 755th and final home run off the California Angels ' Dick Drago at Milwaukee County Stadium. His penultimate homer, in the second game of a doubleheader on July 11th against Steve Foucault of the Texas Rangers was of the walk-off variety; that made him the oldest player to hit such a home run until Jason Giambi beat him by a few days on July 29 , 2013 . In 2014 , the Atlanta Braves marked the 40th anniversary of Aaron breaking Babe Ruth's home run record by wearing a patch on their uniforms with the number 715 and Aaron's name.

That anniversary brought out a flurry of articles commemorating the event, underlining Aaron's exceptional character and devotion to the game, and underlining the fact that in the eyes of a large number of fans, it was he and not Barry Bonds who was the true home run king. [ edit ] Post-playing career Aaron rejoined the Atlanta Braves organization as player development director four days after retiring from baseball. At the time, the team's general manager was his former brother-in-law, Bill Lucas . Aaron's other brother-in-law, Robert Lucas , has been a college coach and Braves scout. Those were not Aaron's only relations to appear in the baseball world - his brother Tommie Aaron played in the majors and managed in the minors while son Lary Aaron , cousins Wilmer Aaron and Melvin Aaron and third-cousin Ging Aaron played in the minors. On August 1 , 1982 Hank Aaron was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame , receiving votes on 97.8 percent of the ballots. At the time, only Ty Cobb received a higher percentage (98.2) of votes cast. Aaron became one of the first blacks in Major League Baseball upper-level management as Atlanta's vice president of player development.

Since December 1989, he has served as senior vice president and assistant to the president, but he is more active for Turner Broadcasting as a corporate vice president of community relations and a member of TBS's board of directors. He also is vice president of business development for The Airport Network. His autobiography I Had a Hammer was published in 1990 . Aaron now owns Hank Aaron BMW of south Atlanta where every car is sold with an autographed baseball. In 2015, it was reported that he was part of a group seeking to buy the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA. On February 5 , 1999, at a celebration for his 65th birthday, Aaron was honored for his achievements as a player and a person. Major League Baseball announced the introduction of the Hank Aaron Award , to be presented annually to the best hitters in the American League and National League. The first major award to be introduced in more than thirty years, it is also the first to be named after a former player still living at the time the award was inaugurated.

Later that year, he ranked number 5 on The Sporting News ' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players , and was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team . In 2002, Aaron received the Presidential Medal of Freedom , the nation's highest civilian honor. Aaron attended Game 4 of the 2004 World Series at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO and personally awarded the Hank Aaron Award to winners Barry Bonds in the NL, and Manny Ramirez in the AL. Statues of Aaron now stand outside the front entrance of both Turner Field and Miller Park , where the Braves and Brewers currently play. Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium and Milwaukee County Stadium, which were Aaron's home parks for his entire career, were demolished in 1997 and 2001, respectively. Turner Field's home address is 755 Hank Aaron Drive SE, in honor of Aaron's 755 career home runs. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee plays its home games at Henry Aaron Field at Lincoln Park . Aaron's jersey number " 44 " has been retired by both the Atlanta Braves and the Milwaukee Brewers.

[ edit ] Further Reading Hank Aaron (as told to George Vass ): "The Game I'll Never Forget", Baseball Digest, August 1970, pp. 39-41. [1] Hank Aaron and Lonnie Wheeler: I Had a Hammer: The Hank Aaron Story, Harper Perennial, New York, NY, 2007 (originally published in 1991) [2] William Johnson: "Henry 'Hank' Aaron", in Gregory H. Wolf, ed.: Thar's Joy in Braveland: The 1957 Milwaukee Braves, SABR , Phoenix, AZ, 2014, pp. 13-19. ISBN 978-1933599717 Terence Moore: "Celebrating Aaron, a true American treasure", mlb.com, April 8, 2014. [3] Terence Moore: "Aaron's class, dignity evoke spirit of MLK: Legendary player deflects praise for bringing fans together during 1960s", mlb.com, January 16, 2017.

[4] Bob Nightengale: "40 years later, Hank Aaron's grace a beauty to behold", USA Today Sports, April 8, 2014. [5] John Rosengren: Hammerin' Hank, George Almighty and the Say Hey Kid: The Year That Changed Baseball Forever, Sourcebooks, Inc. Naperville, IL, 2008. [6] Lyle Spencer: "Aaron's 715th still a wonderful moment 40 years later: Baker, Downing, Lopes fondly recall witnessing Hammerin' Hank passing The Babe", mlb.com, April 8, 2014. [7]

Question: What was Hank Aaron's first Major League team?
Answer: Milwaukee Braves